by Janell Cannon
Crickwing is a nice cockroach who keeps to himself. He is bullied by the larger creatures in the forest, and when he comes upon some smaller creatures, he decides to pick on them and even the score.
Strategies/Skills Used
Reading Strategy 1: Access background knowledge.
Reading Strategy 2: Predict what will be learned or what will happen.
Reading Strategy 5: Make mental pictures.
Reading Strategy 7: Determine the most important ideas and events and the relationship between them.
Reading Strategy 8: Extract information from text, charts, graphs, maps and illustrations.
Reading Strategy 9: Identify and interpret literary elements in different genres.
Reading Strategy 10: Summarize what has been read.
Reading Strategy 11: Make inferences and draw conclusions.
Reading Strategy 12: Reflect and respond.
Writing Skill 1: I generate ideas in a variety of ways.
Writing Skill 2: I organize my ideas based on my purpose for writing.
Writing Skill 6: I choose the tone and point of view that suit my writing purpose.
TEACHING THE ACTIVITY: PRE-READING
(1) Tell students that before they read, they will be accessing background knowledge to predict what will be learned or what will happen.
(2) Show the front cover and title of the book, and in pairs, have students Say Something about what they think they know about the animal on the cover, as well as what they think the story might be about from the title and cover illustration.
TEACHING THE ACTIVITY: DURING READING
(3) Continue reading, and include Say Something exchanges throughout the story.
(4) Bubble Thinking: Elicit possible character thoughts and feelings and add these to thought or speech bubbles.
TEACHING THE ACTIVITY: POST-READING
(5) Plot Profile – Story Maps: Map the story using one of the provided Graphic Organizers, or create a map to show the story’s events. This can be done as a whole class, in small groups, or individually by students.
(6) Alternative post-reading activity: Journalists’ Questions.